Saturday, April 16, 2005
Tall Tulips
Aren't these just gorgeous? I do believe they are the tallest tulips I've ever grown. You know I always thought if I had really a lot of tulips I would become more cavalier about cutting bouquets of them. But although I now easily have 400 growing here and there throughout my gardens, I still prefer to view them kissed by rain or being coaxed open by the first rays of the sun and then closing mysteriously and standing a little taller in the cool evening air.
Rain Guage
Can you see that little red ball bobbing in the rain guage? It was emptied on Thursday and this picture was taken before the rain stopped on Saturday! Are you missing Seattle's soothing rain, Anna Rae?
You always appreciated a rainy day as an excuse to curl up with a book.
You always appreciated a rainy day as an excuse to curl up with a book.
Plink Plink
See the raindrops dancing in this 'full to the brim' urn? The rain has been pretty much constant this week. Since I had plenty of indoor chores and yet another cold, I really didn't find it too much of an inconvenience. The rain can stop on Monday. Then the kids can get out to recess and we teachers can keep our sanity.
Scattered
My husband, who from the beginning has scoffed at the idea of me having a blog ("Whenever will YOU find the time?") reminded me this morning that IF you have blog you should update it at least once a week. Unlike my daughter, I no longer follow my number of readers with a statistical tracking site so I really do not know if anyone reads this unless they send an email or leave a comment. Anna Rae is right; the fewer the comments the less inclined a blogger is to write. This is the end of my Spring break and you would think that I would find plenty of opportunity to write but instead I have a zillion projects scattered throughout the house and in my head. Rather than putting the past week into paragraphs I will use lists. So first, if I look at my glass half full:
1. I went into school and made up lesson plans with my team teaching partner.
2. I changed the places where my students sit; they always like to come back to that
surprise!
3. I changed my bank card to WAMOOLA card which gives money back to your school of
choice whenever you use your card.
4. I made 2 Doctor appointments for in Oct.
5. I called my health insurance company thinking I would need to appeal the bill for
my foot orthotics only to discover that YES! the entire $350. was covered!
6. I plastered holes left from molly bolts (about 2 inches across!) in our bedroom
wall and then washed the walls.
7. I potted 6 different herbs and added a garden book and gloves to make a 'basket'
which I delivered for the Hospitality House (women's shelter) silent auction.
8. I got a very nice haircut at Bella Vita downtown and then went shopping without
spending too much money.
9. I kidsat for a fellow teacher's little boy so she could go to a wedding. We
played UNO and I won.
10. I went to the Y and lifted weights or exercised in some way Mon. through Fri.
11. I investigated the benefits of our Mastercard and discovered that yes, we do have rental car insurance for our Europe travel.
12. I planted a short border of hot pink 4 o'clocks and white bush zinnias and I
think I cat proofed them with bamboo spikes.
13. Chris and I rented the DVD Sideways and enjoyed it but will never look at
Merlot wine the same. See the movie to understand.
14. I began reading The Time Traveller's Wife which is a novel that sucked me in
from the first 5 pages.
15. I went on 3 St. Vincent De Paul calls last week and 2 today. Each and every one
of those are a story in and of themselves.
16. I ripped out yards of stitches in Anna Rae's curtains as I attempt to alter
them.
17. I read Anna Rae's blog post from Friday Apil 15 and I smiled! I am so happy
that Andy finally got to visit her.
1. I went into school and made up lesson plans with my team teaching partner.
2. I changed the places where my students sit; they always like to come back to that
surprise!
3. I changed my bank card to WAMOOLA card which gives money back to your school of
choice whenever you use your card.
4. I made 2 Doctor appointments for in Oct.
5. I called my health insurance company thinking I would need to appeal the bill for
my foot orthotics only to discover that YES! the entire $350. was covered!
6. I plastered holes left from molly bolts (about 2 inches across!) in our bedroom
wall and then washed the walls.
7. I potted 6 different herbs and added a garden book and gloves to make a 'basket'
which I delivered for the Hospitality House (women's shelter) silent auction.
8. I got a very nice haircut at Bella Vita downtown and then went shopping without
spending too much money.
9. I kidsat for a fellow teacher's little boy so she could go to a wedding. We
played UNO and I won.
10. I went to the Y and lifted weights or exercised in some way Mon. through Fri.
11. I investigated the benefits of our Mastercard and discovered that yes, we do have rental car insurance for our Europe travel.
12. I planted a short border of hot pink 4 o'clocks and white bush zinnias and I
think I cat proofed them with bamboo spikes.
13. Chris and I rented the DVD Sideways and enjoyed it but will never look at
Merlot wine the same. See the movie to understand.
14. I began reading The Time Traveller's Wife which is a novel that sucked me in
from the first 5 pages.
15. I went on 3 St. Vincent De Paul calls last week and 2 today. Each and every one
of those are a story in and of themselves.
16. I ripped out yards of stitches in Anna Rae's curtains as I attempt to alter
them.
17. I read Anna Rae's blog post from Friday Apil 15 and I smiled! I am so happy
that Andy finally got to visit her.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Lenny's Big Idea of Five
Whoever would think that a 5 year old bilingual Vietnamese American child would know about the Eiffel Tower, but he does; thanks to 'The Rugrats in Paris'
A Week With No Anna Rae
Tomorrow it will mark one week since we have heard from Anna Rae which is unusual. Yes, we know she updated her blog on Wed. but usually we get an email or we IM at least once again during the week. If that isn't the case she lets us know that she will be busy. A skiing vacation? A new host family? Those are the positive thoughts. I also worry...maybe she broke her leg, or worse. Did she break one of the 4 Ds and they took away her computer privileges? Wouldn't Rotary notify us if that was the case? What IS going on?
On a less fretful note...our trip is taking shape, we have requested reservations in Rome and Florence. The Rick Steves and Dorling Kindersley travel books litter the dining room table. I listen to the French tapes as I go to work at least 3 times a week. My progress is SLOW; next to non-existent.
Chris just came downstairs to say good night (he is doing the sensible thing to adjust to daylight savings time and heading to bed early) and asked, "Have we heard from our daughter yet?" I answer "No." He is quiet and staring, contemplating the possibilities. I ask, "Well?" He responds, "Alright then, she's spent the weekend with a boyfriend!" and he is grinning, a teasing smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. So both of us are considering the possibilities and at the same time trying not to think about them or at least to think about them in a humorous light.
What has occupied me for four weeks? Student assessment, report cards (Sent home on last Friday!), Student Intervention Team Meetings, a TERC Investigations Math workshop last Saturday, Easter brunch with friends last Sunday, a NUA Literacy workshop yesterday (dynamic but time consuming) and two colds; the nastiest one still lingering. I went to the Y only once in the last 2 weeks. While it was necessary so that I could do report cards and 'nurse' my cold it always puts me in a foul mood to miss my exercise.
On the gardening front, everything is getting green again, including the weeds. The soothing sound of rain is welcome music to my ears. Unless you have lived in Seattle you probably can't appreciate the many hues of green. And those 150 new tulips I planted last fall...it's going to be worth every minute of hole digging.
On a less fretful note...our trip is taking shape, we have requested reservations in Rome and Florence. The Rick Steves and Dorling Kindersley travel books litter the dining room table. I listen to the French tapes as I go to work at least 3 times a week. My progress is SLOW; next to non-existent.
Chris just came downstairs to say good night (he is doing the sensible thing to adjust to daylight savings time and heading to bed early) and asked, "Have we heard from our daughter yet?" I answer "No." He is quiet and staring, contemplating the possibilities. I ask, "Well?" He responds, "Alright then, she's spent the weekend with a boyfriend!" and he is grinning, a teasing smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. So both of us are considering the possibilities and at the same time trying not to think about them or at least to think about them in a humorous light.
What has occupied me for four weeks? Student assessment, report cards (Sent home on last Friday!), Student Intervention Team Meetings, a TERC Investigations Math workshop last Saturday, Easter brunch with friends last Sunday, a NUA Literacy workshop yesterday (dynamic but time consuming) and two colds; the nastiest one still lingering. I went to the Y only once in the last 2 weeks. While it was necessary so that I could do report cards and 'nurse' my cold it always puts me in a foul mood to miss my exercise.
On the gardening front, everything is getting green again, including the weeds. The soothing sound of rain is welcome music to my ears. Unless you have lived in Seattle you probably can't appreciate the many hues of green. And those 150 new tulips I planted last fall...it's going to be worth every minute of hole digging.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Brilliant Forsythia
Our neighbor, Mr. Green owns this bushy forsythia. It sure provides a bright backdrop for our mailboxes.
Another Feline Visitor
This is the most recent interloper to our backyard, isn't she pretty? While not quite as wild as most of the other neighbor cats she is not exactly cuddly. She lets us pet her once in a while but
is not about to let us pick her up.
is not about to let us pick her up.
Bergenia
At one time I wanted to rip every 'elephant ear' out of my yard. I thought
them to be old fashioned (I still think they are) and boring. They also are a great hiding place for lots and lots of snails that chomp away at nearly every foliage they creep across. But over time I realized these 'old fashioned' plants were a welcome splash of pink in the earliest of spring and they fill up rockery crevices like nobody's business, leaving no room for weeds.
them to be old fashioned (I still think they are) and boring. They also are a great hiding place for lots and lots of snails that chomp away at nearly every foliage they creep across. But over time I realized these 'old fashioned' plants were a welcome splash of pink in the earliest of spring and they fill up rockery crevices like nobody's business, leaving no room for weeds.
Narcissus
Nothing hearalds spring more than the sunshine yellow of narcissus in neighborhood flower beds.
Helleborus
No woodland garden is complete without a
helleborus or two. I could do with three or four more. I think this burgundy shade
is particularily lovely.
helleborus or two. I could do with three or four more. I think this burgundy shade
is particularily lovely.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Tulips on Table
I love my dining room table and I love my kitchen. Chris made my table. It looks especially nice when it is free of the piles of paper clutter that seem to multiply on it's surface every week. I managed to take care of the clutter and serve a fairly decent dinner to friends at this table on Friday night. We had the parents of Chloe and Andy (2 other exchange students) over for dinner. We talked of our kids (glowingly of course) and our upcoming plans to visit them in their host countries of France, Spain and Italy. We miss them but none of us are wallowing in sadness. I guess that's because all 3 kids are truly having 'the time of their lives' and pretty much thriving on their exchange experience. 4 bottles of wine and nearly as may hours later they made hasty departures as is the way with ferry commuters. The time went by altogether too quickly. I am hopeful that we will get together at least once more before the kids get home.
Doe???
We knew something was afoot when the neighbors replaced their 6 foot high cyclone fence with a sturdier and taller one topped with spiral strands of razor sharp barbed wire. It began to look like Stalag 13. While we do live in an unincorporated area, this is the edge of Seattle. The city line is only 2 blocks to west of us. Yes, these are deer, but not blacktail or whitetail deer. They are more chocolately brown in color and what do you think; could a doe have antlers?
Fawn
We live in unincorporated southwest King County. It is a place with a generous share of characters living alongside rather ordinary middle class families like ours. Amongst our family we refer to the owners of these deer as 'Ma and Pa Kettle'. They have owned, at one time or another, goats, sheep, geese, rabbits, a donkey and two burros (I'm no ass, I know the difference). And now the deer.
Deer Here
Tonight in the waning hours of my mid-winter break I could write about a variety of things I did during the past week. But house cleaning, taxes, consulting with designers about window coverings, skating in the sunshine on Alki, pruning roses, cutting down ferns and pampas grass, are all pretty tame stuff compared to Chris' discovery of these critters in the backyard of the
house that is kitty corner to the back of our lot.
house that is kitty corner to the back of our lot.
Saturday, February 19, 2005
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